Egypt’s interior minister meets civil society organisations

Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim met with rights groups on Monday Cairo – Mohammed Al Dawi The Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has defended the record of Egypt’s police force amid a fierce crackdown by authorities on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. During a meeting with Egyptian civil society organisations and human rights activists on Monday, Ibrahim said the main responsibility of the police was to protect national security, dealing with violence and terrorism aimed at innocent people and public and private property. The minister emphasised the commitment of all police officers to the principles of human rights, saying they use force only when strictly necessary and in accordance with regulations.
Ibrahim summarised the current security situation in Egypt as well as the challenges facing the police force. He added that police officers’ sense of duty will motivate them to continue giving and sacrificing their lives to protect the country and its stability.
The minister also took the opportunity to praise the role of civil society organisations in serving society and called on all present to support the police by clarifying all facts accurately, especially at the current time when the police face growing challenges.
The Minister listened to a number of proposals by directors of civil society groups regarding the role of the security services during the current and coming phases, as well as answering their questions. Ibrahim instructed the interior ministry’s human rights department to keep communication open with all civil society organisations.
At the end of the meeting, attendees welcomed the new policies of the interior ministry and its commitment to keeping in touch with civil society, as well as praising the approach of the police in dealing with recent demonstrations and sit-ins.
Nearly 1000 people died in Egypt in the week beginning August 14, when security forces moved into two tent cities of protesters calling for the reinstatement of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
The operation sparked nationwide violence that left nearly 600 people dead in a single day.
At the end of the week, the country's interim government imposed a night-time curfew on 14 provinces.
But in recent days, amid a fierce crackdown by authorities, Islamists have been unable to muster large numbers at demonstrations.
As the unrest has abated, the authorities announced Saturday that they would shorten the curfew by two hours, though the country remains under a state of emergency.
Additional source: AFP